tomorrow, we may get some backlash, falling temperatures and maybe some snow showers or flurries and eventually it will come to an end and we will definitely be feeling like winter. as far as rainfall totals, a tenth of an in ch. >> -- inch. >> we will certainly feel the impact. airlines are canceling hundreds of flights from chicago to boston. the domino effect that all these cancellations are having tonight. >> basically it is a mad rush to the airport. early this morning airline started canceling flights. hundreds and hundreds of them, most from chicago and boston. he never did airlines has canceled more than 350 flights for friday. american has canceled 43. reagan national is swarmed with

anxious travelers. >> i am trying to push my flight up so i can get home to my kids. >> she was lucky. >> i got the last sea>> it was like getting the golden ticket. i hope i'm going to get home. i have to fly out again on sunday. i will be digging tomorrow night. >> the storm could dump up to 2 feet of snow. a collision from one storm from the midwest and another on the east coast as boston preparing. these travelers have tickets but there connecting flight has already been cancelled. >> it is supposed to be an historical storm. >> their flight has been cancelled. >> we're trying to protect our

flights out of washington today instead of boston tomorrow. >> we did not find flights canceled at dulles but we did find travelers worried about getting stranded in boston waiting for a connecting flight. >> it has been a rough trip for traveling. copley and will be able to get home. >> he is trying to get to the midwest. chicago, at 84 flights cancelled today. this is going to have a domino effect over the next several days. >> of course the airlines are just part of our travel infrastructure. amtrak will be suspending routes starting tomorrow. we will take a look at what it means for those that rely on trains to get in and out of new york. this potential blizzard is 35 years almost to the day of the blizzard of 1978. it to dumped 25 inches in boston and up to 4 1/2 feet in

some areas. >> tonight police are scary in a garbage facility looking for the body of a two year-old girl believed to have been killed by her mother. police questioned chelsea booth after her daughter had not been seen in several days. brad bell joins us with a look at where things are tonight. >> out here is a horrible task in every imaginable way. police believe the contents of this dumpster ended up at this waste management facility and right now about a dozen firefighters and police officers are going over a railroad car. they believe that among all of the garbage, they will find the body of that growth. a security guard is posted at the entrance to the apartment building. people are being asked their business before allowed in.

neighbors are upset by what happened in do not want to talk to strangers. >> the only thing i can tell you is that we are sad. >> the incident is the alleged murder of cassidy booth by her mother, chelsea booth. police say they were alerted yesterday by neighbors who said that they had not seen her for a few days. >> no one knew where the child was. we continue to question the mother. that is when we got the information she had killed her child. >> police believe the mother threw her body in a dumpster in the apartment complex. that crash was picked up. police believe it was brought here to this waste management facility. it is here the search for the little girl will be conducted. he works in the apartment complex in new the mother and child. >> when you hear something like that, it definitely affects you.

it is very serious this happened to a young child. >> back out here at the transfer station, authorities have been looking in the railroad car for about an hour. we just thought 89 they're going to take into the railroad -- saw a canine they were going to take into the railroad. chelsea booth is locked up. she has another child and that child is fine. >> what a heartbreaking story. tonight it appears the man known as the groper has struck again. police say he grabbed a woman as she was walking in springfield 5:00 last night. it is the 18th attack in that portion of the city. police have released this updated sketch of the suspect based on descriptions from the attacks. he is believed to be white or hispanic 5 feet 6 inches tall

and 180 pounds. >> a developing story in california where a manhunt is underway for a former los angeles police officer accused of killing three people, including a police officer and the daughter of a retired captain. pamela brown joins us with the latest. >> an alleged facebook manifesto offers clues about dorner's debt. thousands of officers search for dorner. it is believed officials are focusing on a ski resort in southern california known as big bear. in ford -- authorities are investigating whether this truck may be linked to christopher dorner. once trusted to protect the public he is now believed to be armed and dangerous. his targets are police officers and their families. >> the criminal has made it clear he considers police

officers and their families fair game for his assault. >> police say dorner, a decorated marksman, shot two officers in riverside california this morning killing one and injuring the other. >> minutes to shop, multiple times. >> detectives say an officer grazed his head as he sped away. >> he has multiple weapons at his disposal. >> champagne -- rampages a day after he was named in a suspect of a double slaying as a woman identified as the daughter of a retired lapd officer and her fiancee. dorner claims he was fired in 2008 for reporting abuses within department. his manifesto vows revenge, sang i will bring where fair to those in lapd uniform, on or off duty -- saying i will bring warfare

to those in lapd uniform, on or off duty. we will keep you up-to-date on this developing story. pamela brown, abc 7 news. >> the search continues for whoever threw a firebomb through the window of a sandwich shop. it cost $100,000 in damage. police have not revealed a motive. that builds have targeted the same shop. >> john brennan is facing tough questions about the u.s. drone program. he is the nominee to head the cia and his hearing comes at a time when the white house is facing criticism for its droned policy. as the counter as and chief, he was a big force behind those strikes. coming up, what brennan had to say about the strikes and what

the -- what brought the hearing to a grinding halt. >> the man accused of trying to blow up a bank has pleaded guilty to terrorism charges. he was charged in october for his attempted plot but was actually an fbi sting operation. investigators say he drove a truck with what he thought were explosive to the entrance of the bank and try to detonate the bomb. he could get life in prison. >> a judge stood his ground today, denying the public access to a hearing which could have major consequences for the man convicted of killing changdra levy. stephen tschida has breaking developments on this. >> what ever this information is that has surfaced, we know that it is significant. ingmar guandique is back tonight. he was in the courtroom today. gone is the energetic young man

convicted of the murder. today, he appeared slim, thin, he was very drawn. his demeanor was somber. attorneys for ingmar guandique argued by closing hearings about new evidence in the chandra levy murder trial. just before another scheduled hearing today the judge says he will not open up the hearing. >> we do not see a lot of effort to end the secrecy as quickly as we think it ought to be. >> he was convicted in the murder based on circumstantial evidence. a fellow inmate goes the testimony proved crucial to the conviction. prosecutors presented evidence about a witness that could put that conviction in doubt. but the judge refused to release this information out of safety concerns. >> there is nothing as to --

other some safety concern that relates to some information relating to the reliability of the testimony from the witness. >> he will be in court next thursday for another hearing. when saying he would not make information public, the judge did say eventually it will be released. that could happen in two or three months. stephen cheetah, abc7 news. >> still to come, an emergency meeting at the -- what it could mean for the financial future. >> the redskins find themselves the subject of harsh criticism. >> and an asteroid half the size of a football field is headed toward earth. how close it will get to and where you might be able to see it. >> in front of a popular restaurant that was

>> and popular grocery store has reopened after health inspectors shut it down. >> this is not the first time they have been in trouble. they found an imminent health risk including evidence of rats,

mice, and roaches. >> as you mentioned the store has reopened and that this for several reasons. they have paid a $100 inspection fee and inspector make sure that everything was ok. this is the sign customer saw when they approached the door. hard to miss. the store shut down because of a health hazard. >> this is gross. >> you would not expect to see this in all places. >> we took a closer look at the inspection report. the grocery store has 18 violations. the most serious, mold in the ice machine mice droppings behind a refrigerator. one of the workers was not wearing a hair net in the

seafood section. today employees getting things back in order inside and outside the store. >> i always come here for my lunch break. >> he works nearby. >> i will not be coming back after that. when you're buying food, you do not want to know there have been rats. >> others say -- >> they have good hygiene. no doubt about that. there are rats in georgetown. >> half with through the day we noticed the sign had been taking down. -- halfway through the day we noticed the sign had been taken down. customers can go inside. this store has been cited three times for a l.a. -- violations. we reached out to the company but never heard back. >> tonight the search is on for

whoever 1 $270 million. but they couldn't win everywhere. the winning ticket was sold at a machine inside the richmond airport. so far the winter has not come forward. the numbers are five, 27, 36, 38, 41. by the way, this is the second largest jackpot for a ticket sold in virginia. >> and astra will pass closer to earth. nasa says it is nothing to worry about. if you're holding at ticket you are in good shape. it is half the size of the football field and will pass within 17,000 miles of our planet. it is close enough for people in eastern europe to see it with a telescope. how ironic would be if you are -- 1 $270 million in the lottery and then you get hit by an asteroid? [laughter] >> something that big,.

>> we have that, the nor'easter blizzards. >> let's get to the map and i will show you what we expect around here. not much to get excited about weather-wise. people once again driving too quickly through the parking lot. you notice that? cloudy skies. some precipitation mostly in the form of rain. right now 40 degrees. 41 has been a high. most of the region today because of the cloud cover and the wind. as far as the weather, we have a winter weather advisories. midnight-10:00 a.m. tomorrow for the possibility of some snow and freezing rain, maybe up to an

inch. that is it. do not expect -- temperatures will be too warm. we will get some rain, and not a lot of that. 41 in washington now. manassas the cold air is well to the north and that is where the threat remains. temperatures, nine in burlington, vermont. 27 at logan. boston is going to get nailed with the snow, gusts over 50 miles an hour. we will be on the fringes of it as it begins. we are just on the southern fringes with our advisories. all of these areas in pink winter storm warnings, l.i., southeastern massachusetts right at the coast. all of that blizzard warnings in

effect right now. all because of what is going to happen when these folks get together. it is a low pressure system. coming across and was right now. that is going to team up with a surface flow -- low. all of a sudden, you will see the birth of a nor'easter that will translate because the season is a blizzard. why are they getting it there? because of where it is developing. it will move offshore and the north of latitude before it can produce the kind of precipitation we are talking about. we would want to see a track that would come this way, a little more like this rather than across the carolinas. it is not going to happen for us but everything looks like these features will come together. we will get some rain but we will be on the western fringes of it. temperatures will be critical. our futurecast model shows that by 8:00 in the morning, we will have moderate-heavy rain.

very small amounts. tomorrow afternoon, when the storm is cranking southeast of long island, we will get wraparound moisture, strong winds and falling temperatures. any accumulations will be from that not tomorrow morning. maybe a snow shower tomorrow night. cold weather for saturday. a nice looking weekend. we will have the precipitation of rain ending. colder in the afternoon. a cold day on saturday. sunshine by sunday. maybe more rain by monday afternoon. >> coming up on abc 7 news, we will talk about how tough it can be to park. >> imagine finding out you got towed because of something a road crew did. how one woman fought back. >> an emergency meeting at a

local university. >> should the washington redskins change their name? that discussion has be [ dad ] find it? ya. alright, another

one just like that. right in the old bucket. good toss! see that's much better! that was good. you had your shoulder pointed you kept your eyes on your target. let's do it again -- watch me. just like that one... [ male announcer ] the durability of the volkswagen passat. pass down something he will be grateful for. good arm. that's the power of german engineering. ♪ ♪ back to you. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] the distances aren't getting shorter. ♪ ♪ the trucks are going farther. the 2013 ram 1500 with best-in-class fuel economy. engineered to move heen and earth. guts. glory. ram. the new ram 1500. motor trend's 2013 truck of the year.

>> the redskins' game is at the center of the name over stereotypes' and sports. >> this time few are stepping up for the team.

the latest push. >> it is a debate in washington and it continues today. the game plan is breaking down stereotypes when it comes to sports. for many football fans, it has become second nature. many native americans, however understand. >> it is the inverse name we can be called in the english language. >> two-thirds of the sports teams have been changed in the last few decades. 1000 still remain with washington at the top of the list for many. >> we are not their property. we are not the property of the washington team's fans. anything related to us is not. how arrogant to think they can continue to own us in this way.

>> for this professor and member of the navajo nation, the mention of the work takes him back to racism in his childhood. >> he said redskins. he snuck in redskins. you dirty red skin. and so forth. that is where it takes me back. >> vincent gray has suggested a name change that avoided the word. >> for our washington football team. >> the nfl commissioner is listening nobody wants to offend anybody. >> i could see where it could be offensive. >> the organization is not responding. while the redskins would not talk to us, the commissioner's office says the organization made it clear they are proud of that heritage. one activist claims she is hearing they could change the name to the washington warriors,

but that not satisfied many native american people. >> thank you. coming up, it is becoming easier and easier to get marijuana without breaking the law. how safe is the drug? we compare pot and cigarettes. >> revealing how many people are paying to use one local toll road and how often they're getting away [indiscernible] >> trusties continue to try to run

>> you are watching abc 7 news at 5:00, on your side. >> an emergency meeting on the future of university of d.c. >> this comes after another round of job cuts at the school. sam ford joins us from the college with what he has uncovered. >> you might recall back in december the university trustees fired the president and tonight they are having an emergency meeting to run the university until the interim president is elected. it is a time of uncertainty. the $42 million to the center is going up the first contraction in decades. but these are hardly good times. >> professors did not know if

they will continue to have classes. it did not know if they would be cut. >> students worry about their future after the board of trustees fired the universe -- fired the president and cut the staff by 10%. perhaps more cuts to come. >> i have overheard a secretary say she is paranoid every day, worried about her job. with all the cuts. >> half of the 5000 students are in community college facilities. students worry whether programs will survive. >> they may not have the program. meanwhile i am the middle of the program. >> i am very concerned. it is always about the money. >> those concerns include alum and a council member. >> we need to make sure it is shored up as well as making sure

the flag ship is moving along smoothly as well. >> the biggest problem is the uncertainty. will an interim president be considered tonight? we are told now. there is no date for when the president might be named. sam ford, abc7 news. >> police are investigating a crash involving a pedestrian before 1:00 a.m. investigators say barry brown was hit and killed walking northbound and southbound lane. the driver stayed at the scene. >> time for a look at the other top stories. we are on storm watch as the storm -- the northeast braces for the winter storm. we will feel the impact because airlines are canceling hundreds of flights from chicago all the way to boston. >> police are scarce range for

the body of a two year-old believed to have been killed by her mother. police began questioning chelsea booth after neighbors reported they had not seen her daughter in several days. >> and a manhunt for an armed and dangerous police officer. christopher dorner is accused of shooting and killing three people including a police officer and the daughter of a retired capt. investigators say dorner is out for revenge after he was fired. >> we will be following the latest developments out of california on world to stop -- world news tonight. i spoke with diane sawyer about that. good evening. nice to see you. i see you are looking at big stories on both coasts. >> we are. we will have the latest on this manhunt in la. and also the giant lizard. we are in the middle of it as it comes our way. >> you have some travel tips for

those looking for good deals? >> that is right. people are planning spring break right now. we wondered if there are ways to get great deals. is there a best time of day? there is. and a new tip that surprised everyone. >> we will let you batten down the hatches. see you soon. you could see those stories and more tonight after abc 7 news at 6:00. >> also coming up, "scandal." bolivia must protect yourself and deal with a bombshell from president grant. it airs at kenny -- 10. >> a lot of drivers and not paying their fines so they say that despite more than 1 million reports of violations, only 95,000 people got finds in the

mail. -- fines in the mail. that revenue is key to paying for the new silver mine. the agency claims ball to equipment. >> it is time for a check on the traffic situation. >> we are seeing some delays on 395. not too much in the camera in springfield but south of here brakes again. troubling the inner loop, the dulles toll road, crash activity off to the left shoulder. things get better in the north. as you work your way in montgomery county, things are moving well. 270, jammed traffic. past the merge with the local

lanes, finding delays as well. that is the latest. back to you. >> it is a safe bet that at some point you had a parking ticket you felt you did not deserve. but a woman was so convinced she went out a sheaf of proof. surveillance video showing a road crew turning the spot where she was parked in to a handicapped spot while the car was there. she actually ended up being towed and fined $300. the video she found is going viral. that prompted an official apology and refund. feels good to see somebody actually wind. >> i know. still to come, for years many people have said marijuana is safer than smoking cigarettes. is it true? what we found out. >> pushed to the edge in "

>> oscar started the morning with us before taking a tour of

the nation's capital. oscar is even available poor pictures right now at the meridian in arlington hotel. you can also watch the academy awards right here on abc7 on february 24. >> we have someone here who knows a lot about oscar. they are long friends. >> that is so true. he is here to talk about his time with the golden statue. >> we were both young together. but it is a neat to see one. really great to see. this weekend, stephen soder berg cooks up a good movie. she struggles with repression in "side effects." her doctor prescribes a variety of pills. and one of them purchaser over

the edge. or does it? "side-effects" is a great cast. -- has a great cast. it never does what to expect except shock and surprise. three and a half stars, and in our rating. just what the doctor ordered. -- and an r rating. she is one of our time's greatest comics and sometimes rises above the so-so script. good for a few laughs. the best bets, silver linings playbook, and side effects. you saw her in "the social network" in the english version with "the girl with the dragon

tattoo." i loved it. >> you have been on the road. >> have a good weekend. >> coming up next, one congressman says steven spielberg got it wrong and what he wants done about it. >> what we found out when we compare the

>> with d.c.'s soon to start selling medical marijuana the push to legalize pot is growing. >> after years of anti-smoking campaigns, could we see a surge in new smokers? is a joint worse than a cigarette? greta kreuz has some answers. >> study shows kids smoke more pot than cigarettes and half of americans say it should be legal. all of diamond head. what is in this stuff? americans' fears about marijuana are going up in smoke. >> i think it should be

legalized. >> prohibition causes more problems than it solves. >> and look at this. teen-agers think smoking cigarettes is far worse than smoking pot. 78% of 12th graders say cigarettes are bad for you. 44% think pot is. years of warnings and that have worked. but is a joint safer than a cigarette? smoking both releases tar, carbon monoxide, and cancer causing agents. >> we do not know enough. >> david abrams says cigarettes are far more addictive than pot because they contain nicotine. comparable to hear when. pocked does not but it does pose other risks. -- heroin. pot does not but it does pose other risks. >> it does damage your lungs. >> pot smokers tend to in him more deeply and hold a on there.

across town -- >> it is much safer than tobacco. >> this executive directorto not smoke as much as tobacco smokers. like tobacco, they should let people decide for themselves. >> it is an unwise decision to try it and spoke it and drop it into your lungs. should that be a crime? >> law enforcement says yes. >> everybody we have met that has done meth, they started smoking marijuana. >> finding answers is not easy, an issue crowd -- clouded by politics and a list of big profits. pot so impair your judgment and even lower your iq. right now there is no definitive link between along cancer and pot. but the worst way to smoke is through a bong because the water

cools the smoke and you tend to in health it deeper. -- inhale it deper. -- deeper. they will implement a new policy to not hire any tobacco users. the spokesperson says they have been trying to set an example that tobacco now had -- has no place in a healthy lifestyle. >> a connecticut congressman says he has found an error in steven spielberg post a movie "lincoln" he wants to correct it. he says it depicts the congressional delegation as not in favor of the 13th amendment which ended slavery. in a letter, he includes a tally of all four connecticut congressmen voting in favor of the amendment. he wants the movie corrected before its dvd release. he has not received any word

back yet. >> i wonder if you found anything wrong with the abraham lincoln vampire movie. >> probably. >> let's see what's coming up at 6:00. >> gordon peterson has that look ahead for us. >> tonight we will be talking with the business owner whose shop was attacked yesterday. there was an explosion yesterday. also, some disruption in the hearing room, the hearing of john brennan. even before he got into his statement. dianne feinstein had to close the room. we will talk about that and a bunch of other things at 6:00. >> see you in just a bit. >> robin roberts is ready to return to work. this morning it was announced on good morning america she will be back at the desk wednesday february 20. that is five months to the day of her bone marrow transplant to treat the blood disorder.

>> that has to be an encouragement. >> absolutely. >> they come back like that. >> the team is so excited. they are such a family. >> also good to see we will miss most of the storm. >> it is a really for most of us. >> remember a couple of years ago we had our turn at it. this time it is going to be boston and new england. first we have winter weather in effect from midnight until 10:00 a.m. may be half of an inch of snow and freezing rain. a minor effect compared to the rest of the east coast. 36 in of gaithersburg. we will stay in the 30's, mostly above freezing. a few areas north and west of town will see some rain develop, but in general, as the wind continues to pull and moisture, i think we will see

everybody above freezing, rain for most of the morning and into the afternoon before it comes to an end. the major storm is south of the washington area. a disturbance coming across the lakes and midwest. they will combine in new storm forming. not in a position to bring us precipitation but to keep us on the fringes. that is when the blizzard setup is a new play -- is in place. at least 24 inches of snow was expected. some computer models are expecting 45 inches of snow in some of the mountains. we will keep an eye on that. what we are going to see is a little bit of rain in the morning and that will yield to sunshine into the weekend. more for you coming up at the top of the hour. >> tim brant is checking in. >> there is a lot going on today. we have the caps, greg williams

in the nfl. i will get to all of that. but this is a celebrity count. it is like l.a. and it takes special people to get attention. magic johnson comes to town. it is amazing to see the reaction. he uses his celebrity to help others. this person spend the day with him. >> magic johnson holds court wherever he goes. today he is at howard university talking about business and living with hiv. >> you always want to be on campus talking about what they can do to prevent hiv and aids. >> his day also included a visit with president obama to discuss aids awareness. of course, that was not the only thing on the agenda. >> president obama and i are always going to talk about the nba as well as fighting hiv and aids. and then we will probably talk

business. whatever he wants me to do to help him with his next four years, that is what i am willing to do. >> he mixes work with pleasure in washington. he watched last night at for verizon and was impressed. >> he played great. you are starting to see the team is exciting. they are starting to get guys it wants to play every night. i think you are going to see a different wizards team from this season and definitely next season. they are going to be better. >> our play of the day comes from north dakota. let's go to bismarck high- school. they can play the game of hockey. the game tied at one. behind the net, into the goal. that is our play of the day from bismarck. do it again! that is a pretty good goal right

there. >> that is a pretty good? and you have. -- accent you ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] the distances aren't getting shorter. ♪ ♪ the trucks are going farther. the 2013 ram 1500 with best-in-class fuel economy. engineered to move heaven and earth. guts. glory. ram. the new ram 1500. motor trend's 2013 truck of the year. [ dad ] find it? ya. alright, another one just like that. right in the old bucket. good toss!

see that's much better! that was od. you had your shoulder pointed you kept your eyes on your target. let's do it again -- watch me. just like that one... [ male announcer ] the durability of the volkswagen passat. pass down something he will be grateful for. good arm. that's the power of german engineering. ♪ ♪ back to you.

>> we have learned that the two airlines are on the verge of becoming the largest in the nation. >> american airlines and usair or s hoh could what that could mean for the next time you fly. >> a proposed merger between two airline giants, american and usair, would create the largest airline in the world. >> i think it will be better. >> many passengers reacted to the rumors. why are the companies considering it? >> the economics makes sense. they are so compelling. both companies have said it will benefit everybody. >> it is not good. they will control everything. >> stephanie is not sure a new airline would do anything but raise air fare.

>> you do not have any choice to get to where you're going. >> a merger would cut down on competition. >> i think we have had mergers before. they always bring about change. sometimes it better service, sometimes worse service. >> nobody knows how service would be affected but it would mean most of the air travel in the united states would be controlled by four companies. >> when you combine airlines, i have been pleased with u.s. air over the years. i hope the quality of service does not suffer. >> they are scheduled to vote on monday. the new company would be called american airlines. >> that is it for abc 7 news at 5:00. abc 7 news at 6:00 starts right now. >> live in each -- and in hd,

this is abc 7 news at 6:00. >> we're talking about the weather. a blizzard warning for parts of new england. tonight, the northeast corridor is bracing for a no. the -- nor'easter that could pump up to 2 feet of snow. >> not a single flake has fallen yet. trains and travel are making big changes. we have big coverage and we will go for it -- go to jennifer in just a moment. but first, let's hear what doug hill has to say about what is going to happen. >> i think we will seal the but of rain in the metro area. maybe a wintery mix, just a little bit compared to the big story. let's show you the radar. a lot of rain to the south. energy from the midwest. we will get